The Web Designer Beauty School is a nuts-and-bolts web design course that gives you valuable skills to create any website you choose. Not only that, but if you have the burning desire to have a career you love working from the comfort of your home, Beauty School shows you how.

With so much to offer, there are bound to be questions about the course. This FAQ will help you dive into some of the details. For more info, head on over to our online home.

If I’m not ready to make web design my career, is the course still useful?

Absolutely! In fact, many students come to the course wanting to work on their own sites. What we have found, however, is that many of these students discover that they LOVE web design and want to do more of it. The progression to becoming a web designer as a career often happens naturally. But it’s not necessary.

Why WordPress? Why not Squarespace or Wix?

WordPress powers over 50% of the world’s websites. It can handle even complicated ecommerce stores, membership sites, and online courses. Fact.

The reason we use tools like WordPress and the Thesis theme is because, just like we have, millions of people have developed extensive expertise in WordPress, Thesis, and the many tools that work with these platforms. As the saying goes, “There’s an app for that.” There are plugins to implement just about any idea you have, and infinite people to help you with programming and problem solving if the need arises.

WordPress is unparalleled in this type of support, and so is the Thesis theme.

It also means that when you ask for a particular functionality for your website, we can say, “Yes, that’s possible, and this is how we do it.” And for those occasions when you have a project that needs specific features, the Support School private Facebook community is there to help you find the best software available to implement it.

What WordPress theme do you use?

As mentioned above, we use the Thesis theme by DIYthemes. We teach you how to build sites in WordPress with the Thesis theme because it’s a totally blank canvas, allowing you to create any beautiful, practical design you like.

Other themes may be beautiful, but they tend to not be malleable like Thesis. For every new theme, you have to learn the developer’s language (and coding tricks). Because we’ve worked extensively with Thesis for several years, we know exactly what we can push, pull, and pick apart. We are totally and utterly in love with the flexibility of Thesis. It turns out, our students are too.

Do I have to use the Thesis theme?

No. The majority of what you learn in this course can be applied to just about any WordPress theme, and even other content management systems (CMSs) like Wix and Squarespace. Our teachers and many of your classmates have worked with other reputable CMSs and themes, like Genesis and Divi, although we find that the majority all eventually come back to Thesis.

The main piece of advice we have is, in the long run, stick with one theme for all your sites because the more intimately you get to know it, the more efficient you become.

What do we learn to “code” exactly?

The main skill you walk away with is an in-depth knowledge of CSS so you can customize every little detail of your website. If you have ever found that adding form codes from MailChimp or InfusionSoft only creates an eyesore on your site, we show you how to fix that. Or when you add a plugin and suddenly your site is no longer responsive — no more! We show you how to add all the features and functions your site needs so that it looks and works the way you want it to on any device.

We don’t have to teach PHP because the Thesis theme we use was developed, in part, with the goal of empowering you to not need it. That’s why Chris Pearson’s Thesis theme has been so successful — no complicated code required to create amazing custom websites. It’s the perfect formula. Krista and I have built A LOT of websites, and we have never had to code with PHP. Thesis has a drag-and-drop interface that lets you easily set up unique page templates, adding or removing any content you like to any part of your pages. Voilà!

How is the course content delivered?

Web Designer Beauty School is an 8-week course, including one catch-up week. Each week a new module is unlocked, revealing a set of videos, tutorials, and resources that take you step-by-step through the process of setting up your site from A to Z. You will have access to the Beauty School core curriculum lessons for one year.

In week six, we open the CSS Playground, a vast resource of video tutorials that tackle the latest and greatest tips and tricks for making your site look and function just how you want it to. You get three months of free access to the CSS Playground continuing education video library.

How long will it take to do the course?

Give yourself about 2 to 4 hours each week to go through the course content and implement what you have learned. This estimate can vary somewhat depending on the needs of your site.

What support do you provide?

Katy, Krista, and our student teachers respond to your questions in the Web Designer Support School private Facebook forum at least twice per day, Sunday through Friday. (We take a well-earned rest on Saturdays, and you should too.) No question is left unanswered. Best of all, your fellow students will help, champion, and cheer you on! You get three months of free access to the Support School.

What happens after my three months of free support is up?

You will have access to the Beauty School core curriculum lessons for one year. To remain a part of the private Support School Facebook group and to access the CSS Playground video library, simply join our Support School for $39/month. (Cancel any time. No questions asked.)